


Blessings

by missflowerthief



Category: Dragalia Lost (Video Game)
Genre: Existential Musings kinda, F/F, Fluff, Mentions of Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27667945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missflowerthief/pseuds/missflowerthief
Summary: Sakuya and Marishiten muse on the past, and usher in the New Year.A fic for the Dragalia WLW Ship Week on Twitter for the prompt "Celebration"!
Relationships: Konohana Sakuya/Marishiten
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	Blessings

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to draw for this prompt, but I have some physical limitations so I decided to write instead! Sorry if it's a bit disjointed because of that though. Hope you enjoy!

“Blessings be unto the Skies  
Blessings be unto the Seas  
Blessings be unto the Earth  
Blessings be unto your Breath.”

The land of Alberia had many such prayers. For a time that even Dragons could consider substantial, Marishiten had only read scripture dedicated to more concrete things than life. Of things like loyalty, power, money, and war. The last had an especially close place in her heart, not for the seemingly senseless violence itself (in humans and dragons it was all alike), but for what it brought out in its participants. It was not war itself that was beautiful, but the strength it roused in the hearts of those who would risk everything for their beliefs, those who bloomed on the battlefield, those who would protect the lives of the innocent. The lyrical clash of swords had brought much joy to Marishiten in the past, but what she really missed was the moment when the dust settled--that final, silent fragment of time before the cheers began to roar and the people were finally able to laugh again.

Regrettably, the reign of the Boar Clan had long passed, as per Hinomoto’s traditions. In its wake came an era of peace and prosperity that built the foundation between the land’s alliance with New Alberia. With them spearheading the advance, it was wonderfully inevitable.

So today, honoring the New Year and tidings of good will, she and Sakuya had come to the border between their lands; nevermind that Sakuya isn’t quite a dragon of the Wyrm Clans, or that Marishiten arrived without the current pact holder. The main convoy had gone, ahead of her, deeper into the territory to spread their own blessings. She would join them once she was done here, though even she wasn’t quite sure why the floral Dragon had chosen such a small village to visit.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” She says, her voice airy like the breeze that blows over a thatched roof and makes it bristle.

“Like any other village,” Marishiten thinks. Outwardly, though she doesn’t quite understand what Sakura is seeing, she nods, staring down from the rocky cliffs toward the shore that lines the fishing shacks. The docks, impressive for a village of this size, were most likely its main form of capital. From this far away, she was sure none of the villagers had spotted them yet, or if they had, the distance would make their Draconic features indistinct enough to mistaken them for mortals. Even she couldn’t see them clearly, their little faces and the blobs of color in their clothes swaying in the dawn light. The canyon whistles, faintly flute-like.

Sakuya smiles at her, soothing some of the stray hairs that haphazardly looped themselves into her jewelry. “A lot changes in a few decades, doesn’t it?” she says, her tone jovial.

“Indeed. But for us it’s the blink of an eye.”

“Though not for them,” she says, motioning toward some humans gathered around a burgeoning bonfire.

“How fleeting human life is,” Marishiten sighs in response, feeling a warm hand slide around her own.

“You know,” Sakuya begins in response, “I used to think humans are rather like flowers. In some ways they are; they sprout and they flourish, and then decline just as quickly. But lately I’ve been thinking of them a bit more.”

Marishiten makes a small, curious noise as she pulls Sakuya to sit down next to her, so that their legs dangle over the jutting cliff.

“Humans really live quite a long time, even if not physically. It’s probably because their flesh is so ephemeral that they create things that last beyond their time.” Unlike flowers, which are all the more beautiful because their lives are so short, Sakuya muses that humans are beautiful because of their conscious efforts to continue changing.

Head leaning toward a rough shoulder, she sighs, “it’s a bit of a shame that most Dragons are such solitary creatures.”

“Not you and me,” Marishiten jests, feeling the laughter reverberate from Sakuya’s throat before the sound hits her ears.

“Yes, not you or I,” she agrees in the end.

They both seem a bit unsure of what to say next, but Marishiten now realizes why Sakuya brought them here. She’d probably been counting the increasing sighs. The moodiness that hit during the New Years, always during their Clan’s year of the lunar cycle. It’d been like this ever since the last of their closest friends had left them to incense and urns, proving that indeed, human life is so fleeting.

Marishiten decides to meet in the middle, since Sakuya put in the effort first. “I miss them a bit,” she concedes.

Sakuya nods, prompting her to go on.

“Ieyasu was a great man. Perhaps even one of the greatest to have ever lived. Sazanka and Addis were right to have followed him, and even I was proud to have formed a pact with him...” Though the memory of their meeting was more than a century ago, Marishiten found that the scenes flowed like a calm brook.

Memories upon memories upon memories.

Some were sad, but most of them were happy, bringing smiles onto their faces as, together, they recall the moments they had all shared.

The sun had already set by the time they finished talking about Ieyasu’s wedding, with its beautiful peony and camellia centerpieces that Sakuya had personally picked out. During the bouquet throw (an odd tradition that those of New Alberia did), dozens had vied for the flying bundle of flowers, but it’d been tossed with so much zeal that it ended up on the second floor, right on the Rat Clan leader’s face. They laughed as they recalled that she hadn’t even woken up, even as Botan had apologized profusely.

Sakuya lifts her head from Marishiten’s shoulder, again gazing at the village where most of the inhabitants had gathered to celebrate the New Year.

“We can’t stay for midnight since we have our other duties, so I think now is a good time,” she says, a mysterious twinkle in her eyes.

“For what?” Marishiten asks, though she had expected something considering how much Sakuya loves surprises.

“Ahem,” she clears her throat, putting on an imperial voice only cut by stray giggles that couldn’t keep up a serious tone for long. “As you know, we are envoys to this land, meant to re-invoke the bonds between our people. As such, I decided we should come here to spread blessings to this village, which is often missed on the route to the capital.”

Marishiten hums, watching the humans as they begin to dance and make merry.

Sakuya pulls them to their feet and down the craigs, closer to the festivities. “This village is actually a bit special, because the founders were mostly Hinomotoans that wanted to bring the fishing culture to New Alberia. Over time, a mix of both Hinomotoans and Alberians came to live here together.”

“That explains their odd clothing,” Marishiten replies, noting it’s a fusion between Hinomotoan and Alberian design. Always evolving, they are. Perhaps while life is such an inconstant thing, it is comforting that change is forever.

“And what’s more is that they don’t have much of a farming culture here, except for a few things. Most of the time, they get crops from the town further down the shore.”

“You’ve really done your research, huh?”

“Hehe. But they do have one special thing they grow, which they developed after crossbreeding some seeds from our homeland with the native ones here.”

Sakuya spreads her arms, and Marishiten feels a surge of mana pulsing through the air, concentrating around her hands.

“I called in a favor from Freyja for this, actually, “ she smiles, releasing the mana and allowing it’s gentle power to sweep over the land, from the shore to the cliff side they had rested on. In the darkness, Marishiten hadn’t really noticed the thousands of flower buds that rested on the grassy overhang. They sprang to life under Sakuya’s command, petals unfurling to bask in the moonlight. To her surprise, the flowers also began to glow like small lanterns, each individual plant dim but, in their unison, creating a bright ring of light surrounding the village.

The awed breath that left Marishiten’s mouth was the only sound to be heard before the villagers began to clamor.

“These flowers won’t last that long either,“ Sakuya sighs, though instead of around them, she’s looking down at the village again.

“But they are beautiful,” Marishiten replies, allowing the lights and the beat of drums and human laughter to find a place in her memories.

“Yes. And here’s one more thing.”

Sakuya pulls a bottle of sake and two cups from behind a rock, obviously set up beforehand. Marishiten takes a cup and adds another memory for the smell of alcohol and the smile on her face. They make a toast to the future.

“Blessings be unto them, and blessings be unto us,” Sakuya says, taking a sip as she recalls the small prayer.

“Let us welcome the New Year with a night of celebration.”

**Author's Note:**

> For more info on the Ship week, go to [@DragaliaWLWWeek](https://twitter.com/DragaliaWLWweek/status/1319092723295481857)!


End file.
